2026 Toyota HiLux EV gets green light for production
Senior Toyota exec says HiLux Revo BEV ute production to get underway in Thailand from late next yearA senior Toyota executive has confirmed that the company is entering the final testing phase of its 2026 Toyota HiLux EV and that the battery-electric ute would be produced in Thailand from late next year.
Previous reports suggested the project had stalled, even after Thailand-based Toyota Daihatsu Engineering Manufacturing (TDEM) invested a seven-figure sum to create a working concept.
However, Toyota Motor Asia executive vice-president Pras Ganesh has told news agency Reuters that production of the HiLux EV will now begin before the end of next year.
Motivating Toyota is said to be an influx of Chinese EVs entering the lucrative Thai market.
Isuzu also recently announced that it would build a battery-electric version of the Isuzu D-MAX ute in Thailand from next year – and that Australia is a key target export market.
“Our intention is to be producing the HiLux BEV over here,” Ganesh told Reuters on the sidelines of the Future Mobility Asia summit.
He refused to provide any details of the production model, but did confirm the HiLux EV would be produced for export markets, which means the zero-emissions ute – which has been in Australia for testing – could be sold Down Under from 2026.
Before being signed off, Ganesh said the HiLux EV would now undertake real-world testing both in hot and cold climates.
“The more range I have to put on it, the more battery I have to put on it, which means the weight of the vehicle also becomes significantly heavier – which means the loading can be much less,” he said.
“So, ‘Is it going to meet the customer’s usage needs?’ is always our biggest issue. We are always trying to understand what they do.”
Just as it does in Australia, Toyota dominates sales in Thailand. Last year, the Japanese brand sold 265,949 cars, accounting for a 34.3 per cent market share.
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